The party has decided to set December 16th as the date of polls "if necessary", with the counting of votes and declaration of results to take place on December 19th.

The last date of filing nominations will take place on December 4th, however, the date to watch out for will be December 5th which is the last date of scrutiny of nominations. In case there is no candidate apart from Rahul Gandhi, Congress will announce his candidature on the last date of scrutiny.

Congress announced the dates even as the party passed a resolution to make Rahul Gandhi president of the party at a CWC meeting at 10, Janpath in the capital on Monday morning.

The meeting attended by top Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh set out the path for Rahul Gandhi's crowing as party president.

Rahul's coronation as party president could coincide with the Gujarat elections in December especially if the Congress vice-president is declared the winner on December 5th.

The Congress leader will then have to contend with a bitter fight as soon as he takes over as the head of the grand old party.